New Hampshire

New report reveals steep drop in civic engagement in N.H. – The Boston Globe

Published

1 year ago

October 14, 2024

New report reveals steep drop in civic engagement in N.H. – The Boston Globe

With a major election just around the corner, researchers with the Carsey School of Public Policy at the University of New Hampshire have released an updated status report on how signs of civic health in New Hampshire have shifted over the past four years.

Quixada Moore-Vissing, a UNH faculty fellow, said the research team decided to follow up on the work they published in 2020, after seeing several major events — including the COVID-19 pandemic, the murder of George Floyd and nationwide demonstrations for racial justice, the presidential election, and the attack on the US Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021 — that could significantly influence the way people see themselves and their political context.

“We thought to ourselves, ‘Wow, we really need to figure out what’s going on with civic health more immediately than waiting a few more years, as we usually do,’ because there have been so many things that could affect how we’re interacting across civic engagement in New Hampshire,” Moore-Vissing said during a Q&A session.

Their hastened research, which was released Oct. 7, found a harrowing drop: The percentage of Granite Staters who reported feeling they matter to their communities fell 33 percentage points in just four years, from 76 percent in 2019 to 43 percent in 2023.

The numbers suggest the declines were particularly dramatic among those aged 50-64 and those who live in the North Country, though more research is needed to understand the trends on a granular level, Moore-Vissing said.

There were other signs that people are connecting less with those around them.

The percentage of Granite Staters who reported frequently hearing from or spending time with family or friends slipped 4 percentage points, from 85 percent in 2019 to 81 percent in 2021.

Meanwhile, the percentage of those who frequently do favors for neighbors fell from 11 percent to 5 percent, who worked with neighbors to do something positive for a neighborhood or community dipped from 27 percent to 21 percent, and who attended a public meeting fell from 19 percent to 12 percent.

“I think the question here is, ‘Is this decline in social connectivity temporary due to the pandemic?’ We certainly hope so,” Moore-Vissing said. “But this could also be connected to some bigger-picture issues.”

Perhaps political divisiveness at the national level is trickling down into local communities, or perhaps the rise and durability of remote work is a factor, she said.

“The fact is we really don’t know what’s behind these declines … we want to keep an eye on this,” she added.

As many residents confront concerns over the affordability of housing, child care, and health care, the researchers noted that economic factors can influence civic health.

“Those disproportionately affected from high-burden costs may have difficulty prioritizing other needs and may be less inclined to participate in public life,” Michele Holt-Shannon, director and co-founder of New Hampshire Listens, said in a statement.

“But as the state’s population continues to grow, so can people’s ability to connect and feel like they belong,” Holt-Shannon said. “When residents feel they belong, they’re more likely to feel included in their community, express their thoughts and opinions, and feel able to influence decisions.”

The full reports from 2024 and 2020 are available online, as is a guide for nurturing civic health at the local level.

A version of this story first appeared in Globe NH | Morning Report, our free newsletter focused on the news you need to know about New Hampshire, including great coverage from the Boston Globe and links to interesting articles from other places. If you’d like to receive it via e-mail Monday through Friday, you can sign up here.

Steven Porter can be reached at steven.porter@globe.com. Follow him @reporterporter.

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New Hampshire

N.H. woman accused of civil rights violation after allegedly shooting at lost man because he was Black

Published

5 hours ago

March 4, 2026

Press Room

N.H. woman accused of civil rights violation after allegedly shooting at lost man because he was Black

Local News

Diane Durgin, 67, is accused of shooting at a Black man who inadvertently drove to her property after a prearranged truck part sale, prosecutors said.

A New Hampshire woman is accused of violating the state’s Civil Rights Act four times after she allegedly shot at a man because he was Black, prosecutors said.

Diane Durgin, 67, of Weare, N.H. could face up to a $5,000 fine for each violation she is found to have committed, the office of New Hampshire Attorney General John Formella said in a press release Tuesday.

Durgin is also charged with criminal threatening against a person with a deadly weapon and attempted first degree assault with a deadly weapon, Michael Garrity, a media representative for the New Hampshire Attorney General, said in an emailed statement to Boston.com.

Durgin had a final pre-trial conference last week, Garrity said.

In a civil complaint filed Tuesday, Durgin is accused of threatening physical force against the victim, the AG said. Prosecutors asked the court to issue a preliminary injunction barring Durgin from repeating her alleged behavior and from contacting the victim and his family.

During the morning hours of Oct. 20, 2024, the victim claims, he “mistakenly” drove to Durgin’s home after a prearranged purchase of a truck part with a seller online, prosecutors wrote as part of their request for an injunction.

When the man — whom prosecutors identified in court documents as X.G. — arrived, Durgin allegedly stepped out of her home and approached his car with a gun “holstered by her waist,” prosecutors wrote.

Upon noticing that X.G. was Black, Durgin allegedly “removed her gun and pointed it at X.G.,” prosecutors said in the injunction request.

While X.G. explained that he was lost, Durgin called the victim a “Black mother[expletive],” and threatened to “kill him,” prosecutors allege.

As the victim attempted to drive away, Durgin allegedly took her gun and fired two shots at the fleeing man’s car, missing both times, the AG’s office said.

While on the phone with a dispatcher, Durgin allegedly said she shot the man’s car because the victim is Black, the AG said.

“The guy is Black. And he, he…he says he’s meeting someone here and I think he’s coming here to steal,” Durgin allegedly said.

Police located X.G. and brought him to the Weare Police Department, stopping along the way at the correct seller’s home to complete the truck part purchase, prosecutors wrote in court documents.

To prove a violation of the New Hampshire Civil Rights Act, the AG must show that Durgin “interfered or attempted to interfere with the rights of the victim to engage in lawful activities by threatening to engage in or actually engage in physical force or violence, when such actual or threatening conduct was motivated by race, color, religion, national origin, ancestry, sexual orientation, sex, gender identity, or disability,” prosecutors said.

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New Hampshire

Up to 4 inches of snow expected in NH tonight. See latest forecast

Published

17 hours ago

March 3, 2026

Press Room

Up to 4 inches of snow expected in NH tonight. See latest forecast

It may be March, but winter in New Hampshire is far from over. Just one week after a blizzard tore through the state with heavy snow and high winds, the state is getting another round of snowfall.

The state will get three to five inches during the evening and night of Tuesday, March 3, says the National Weather Service (NWS) of Gray, Maine. While the accumulation will not be significant, the snowfall may cause dangerous road conditions and a layer of ice on the ground in certain parts of the state.

Here’s what to know before tonight’s snow in New Hampshire, including snow totals and timing.

When will it snow in NH tonight?

According to the NWS, it will start snowing in New Hampshire during mid-afternoon or early evening and continue through the night. Specifically, snow will arrive to the southern part of the state around 2-3 p.m., spreading northwards through the rest of New Hampshire by 5 p.m.

Rain or freezing rain will mix in later this evening across southern New Hampshire, creating a wintry mix. All precipitation should move out of the state by midnight.

Due to the timing of today’s snowfall, the Tuesday evening commute will be affected, with the NWS warning to slow down and exercise caution while driving.

How much snow will NH get tonight?

New Hampshire will get one to four inches of snow tonight, with one to two inches in northern New Hampshire, two to three inches in southern New Hampshire and three to four inches in the center of the state, with the possibility for five inches in localized areas.

In the Seacoast specifically, Portsmouth, Rye, Hampton and York are expected to get between two to three inches of snow, while Dover, Exeter and Rochester may get up to four.

The wintry mix may also cause a light glaze of ice across southern New Hampshire.

NH weather watches and warnings

The NWS has issued a winter weather advisory for the state of New Hampshire, in effect from 1 p.m. on Tuesday, March 3 through 4 a.m. on Wednesday, March 4.